[sammm]

Going on holiday for a couple of weeks to south of france with the family (Frejus, west of Nice), therefore i have limited time to go off bouldering - anyone know of any spots along or near the coast. I know there's annot/verdon etc but i think they're going to be too far for a quick visit.

Cheers,

Martin

[i.munro]

When working in Nice I went to Annot for the day. There's a touristy steam train between the two perhaps the family might be ok with that.  It does take a while though & the station in Annot is at the bottom of the bolted climbing rather then the bouldering. However I found a Bleau style circuit had been marked in that area. Some good problems if a bit scattered.

I also went to a (very poor) crag in the outskirts of Nice.
I'm racking my brains to remember the name though.

[sammm]

cheers - i may get away with that! if the name of the crag comes back to you, a couple of hours on a poor bit of crag is bet than nothing!!

[Nibile]

annot is just one hour far from nice.
i think there's some bouldering on the coast just in nice, there was an article many years ago on a vertical magazine. you could check some gym and ask there.

[Serpico]

annot is just one hour far from nice.
i think there's some bouldering on the coast just in nice, there was an article many years ago on a vertical magazine. you could check some gym and ask there.

I think the beach bouldering is Coco Beach, the other spot on the outskirts is a crappy little limestone venue. The local gym is Art Bloc. I know many of the Nicoise (my friend is the manager of Art Bloc) and none of them bother with the bouldering around Nice, they all go to Annot.
http://abloc.org/a/

[i.munro]

I think it might have been this place

http://5sup.free.fr/gairaut/

although that looks much better than I remember it actually being

failing that try clicking on this map

http://www.zebloc.com/sites/index.php

[i.munro]

Should the tourist-y steam train be your preferred option for geting to Annot google the
"train des pignes". Pretty good trip in an "oh my god we're going to die" sort of a way.

[sammm]

Cheers - near death experience train to Annot sounds a good option!

[i.munro]

Do bear in mind though that the main bouldering areas are (I think) quite a way out of town & don't blame me if the ratio of "look we're crossing an Alpine gorge on a bridge apparently built from sticks by cartoon animals" to "are we there yet?" moments is pretty low.

I only did the journey once & I was pretty excited just escaping my colleagues for the day.

[neil h]

there are a few areas I vistited last year, they are all documented in the i-bloc book, you can get a copy at V12

[Joepicalli]

I think it might have been this place

http://5sup.free.fr/gairaut/

although that looks much better than I remember it actually being

failing that try clicking on this map

http://www.zebloc.com/sites/index.php

Gairaut is a complete shit hole really don't bother.
A really good place to go which which is also very beautiful is the esterels which is an area of volcanic rock giving good and unusual climbing for the south of France.